Five Arguments for Painting Your Room First


It's no secret that there are a lot of design rules floating around out there. One that is most prevalent is that, when decorating a space, you should always select your area rug first. Now, I wouldn't go so far as to say this is completely un-true. Selecting your area rug first can be a great way to start. But I have a real problem with using words like "always" when doling out design advice. It can be dangerous because it fuels the already-existing fear that many people have about decorating. With these rules comes the perception that, if they are not followed precisely, your design will be wrong. They limit our creativity, make us question our personal style and innate artistic instincts, and squash our confidence. Not very helpful for the design process!

Another rule that I hear often is that you should always paint your room last. Again - I don't necessarily think this is bad advice, except for the word "always". Yes, it can be a good idea to select your paint color after everything else. The biggest argument for this "rule" is that paint color choices are infinite, whereas sofas, rugs, and window treatments are only available in a limited color supply. By saving your wall paint selection for the end, you won't be limited by any particular color or colorway. However, this approach to a room's design can lead to color becoming an afterthought. Something that is selected just because it goes with everything else, as opposed to a hue that is consciously vetted for is distinct mood, characteristics and our personal relationship with it.

I actually think it can be a very smart design approach to paint your room first. Before any other major design decisions are made. Not always, but it can be. And here's why:


Five Arguments for Painting Your Room First


1. You Don't Know Where to Start
If you are struggling with a hundred other decisions in the design of a space, start with the paint color. This selection will help you make other decisions because you've created a constant. Something to refer back to with all your other color and design decisions. Yes, you are sort of taking a leap because...oh my god, how will you know that you'll be able to find furniture that will go with your wall color after you've painted? What if you can't find anything? Then what - will you have to repaint? Maybe. Maybe not. But try to calm down and trust that it will all work out. And if you do have to repaint, remind yourself that it's not the end of the world. At least you got started!

2. You Found a Color You Love
You've had your eye on a room you pinned to Pinterest for about a year now. You are obsessed. There is nothing you want more than to paint your room that color. Paint it. You will be happy. Yes, you will have to hunt and test a few colors to create the right version for your room and your lighting conditions. You might even need to hire a color expert to consult with to achieve that very particular look and mood that makes you drool. But once you do you will wonder what took you so long. And instead of staring at your computer screen admiring someone else's color, you will be admiring and living in your own beautiful space. Take that, Pinterest!

3. You Want to Create a Very Particular Mood
Maybe it's a moody Mad Men-esque office. Or a dainty, feminine powder room. Paint color is the strongest player in the mood game. Use it first. Get that mood thing going. Nothing will change the feel of a space more than paint color. Well, maybe a full, tear-down remodel, but then we're comparing apples to oranges. Or reds to oranges. Either way, designing a mood is definitely a reason to select paint color first. And, once again, if you are having trouble equating a mood to a particular color, bring in a color expert. It's what we do. 

4. You Are Stuck
Maybe you are remodeling. Maybe you just moved into a new house. Maybe you need to buy a few new pieces of furniture. Maybe you're bored. Maybe you just lost your job. Or a boyfriend. Or your mojo. Paint color can get you unstuck. In design and in life. If you don't believe it, try it. Then get back to me. There is magic and power in color.  Embrace it fearlessly and I promise you'll get things moving again. You may have to repaint that kooky lime green wall that you thought was a good idea right after you were dumped by what's-his-name, but big deal? It's cheaper than therapy, and the upside is you may come up with a really cool design idea through your broken-hearted artistic angst.  

5. You Have Extra Paint in the Garage
Ok - this is probably the last thing you'd expect to hear from me. And I do include this argument with a cautionary warning: don't use a color you don't like just because you have an extra gallon lying around. But do re-use a color if you have an extra gallon lying around AND you still find it beautiful and amazing and it fits the desired mood and function of a space. Here's an example. I had extra paint left over from our previous house. We lived there only a year, and painted six months in. So, we really only got to enjoy the color for about six months before we moved out. When we moved into our new house, I still loved the color and wanted to use it somewhere. We had just enough left over to paint the hallway, so I painted it. It looks great. And I have one less paint can in the garage. 


If you need help selecting the perfect colors for your space, call me or email me. I can help. 
650.867.3896
kelly@storyandspace.com

It's Been a Year! Living Room Before & Afters


This past weekend marked a big anniversary for us. We've officially been in our new house for an entire year! I haven't done nearly as much as I'd hoped (the bedroom has been half-painted for awhile now) but I did manage to "finish" the living room. I put the word finish in quotes because a room - a home - is never really done. I still have a long list of to-dos, but sometimes you have to pause and acknowledge that hey, it looks pretty good for now. Good enough to take a few photos, even. So here you are. One year anniversary photos of the place we call home.


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Mediterranean Bungalow: Exterior Color Design Before and After


I had the pleasure of working with my clients on their Burlingame home's exterior this past spring. I was in the neighborhood for another exterior color consultation yesterday, and finally swung by to take a few pics. And wow - what a transformation! Sometimes the end result of a project is even better than imagined. I'm hoping to get back to take a few more photos soon. We did some cool color design on the back patio add-on that I can't wait to see. In the meantime, take a look at the before and afters. Goodbye dreary beige box, hello sunny California bungalow!


If you are getting ready to paint your home's exterior and need help selecting colors, call me at 650.867.3896 or send me an email at kelly@storyandspace.com. I can help! 


Summer Vegetable Soup with Heirloom Tomatoes and Arugula Hazelnut Pesto

There's just something about soup. I've written a few blog posts over the years where I've featured recipes I've concocted, and they always seem to be soups. 

This soup recipe was born out of necessity. We planted a bunch of tomato plants in our new yard this season - 21 to be exact - and we are bombarded with bowlfuls of beautiful red fruit. We've got Black Krims, Ace, Brandywine, Glacier, Supice, Sweet 100s, and a handful of others. And I've got to say, they are deeeeelicious! But, we have a lot. And there are a lot more to come. Not that I'm complaining! But, I do have to figure out what to do with them. Salsa is my usual standby, but I'm afraid that the size of this bounty takes me way beyond Pico de Gallo.

Here's our beautiful tomato "jungle", as we've coined it. It used to be very pretty and proper and fully supported. Now the supports are makeshift, and the morning glory has happily wound itself up many of the branches. We fought it at first, and then gave up, as they didn't seem to be harming the plants and were making the bees quite happy. (Actually, I just did a quick bit of research and found that these morning glories might better be called bind weed. If anyone has more info on this plant, please share! I personally think they are beautiful, even if "invasive".)

And here is a small portion of our harvest. They do look beautiful against our deep teal walls (which I will unveil in my next blog post.) So, if you have a bunch of tomatoes you aren't sure what to do with, make some soup! If you don't have any, go buy some. And if you are local and ask nicely, I might also give you some. 

 

Summer Vegetable Soup with Heirloom Tomatoes

For the soup:

3 Tbsp olive oil

4 carrots, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup white wine (optional)

8 cups water

4 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped (heirloom or other)

4 small yellow potatoes, diced

3-4 fresh thyme sprigs

 3-4 fresh marjoram sprigs

1/2 cup fresh fennel fronds, finely chopped

1/2 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced

salt 

freshly ground pepper

Heat olive oil on medium heat in soup pot. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Cook until soft, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add white wine (if using), water, tomatoes, potatoes, thyme, and marjoram. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer on medium heat for approximately 15 minutes, then add fennel fronds and fennel. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes until potatoes and fennel are done. Fennel can be cooked al dente, if desired. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

 

Arugula Hazelnut Pesto

2 garlic cloves

Juice of one lemon

3 cups arugula

1/2 cup hazelnuts

1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil

salt 

freshly ground pepper

Note: For this recipe you can use a food processor or a hand blender with mini-processor attachment. I prefer the low-fuss of the hand blender. It works great for small batches of pestos, salsas, dips and sauces. 

Put garlic, lemon, hazelnuts and approximately one cup of arugula in processor. Add approximately 2 tablespoons of oil. Process until blended thoroughly. Add another cup of arugula and enough oil to mix. Process until hazlenuts are coursely blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve soup with a spoonful of pesto and a garnish with a few fresh basil leaves. 

I can't stress enough how unimportant it is to follow these exact instructions. Soups especially, are meant to be modified, in my opinion. I used the vegetables I had on hand. You could add many other vegetables, and even omit some ingredients I've used. You can use more onion or less onion. You could add green beans instead of fennel. Or summer squash instead of potatoes. And the pesto could be made with walnuts and basil. Or cilantro and pine nuts. It's really about making do with the ingredients you have and not being afraid to modify a bit. You'll never know what delicious flavors you can create unless you try.

Bon appetit!

Warm Colors, Cool Colors: What Are They and Why You Need to Know About Them



What are warm and cool colors? And why is it important to understand them when painting your home?

Warm colors are typically reds, oranges and yellows, and tend to advance toward our eyes. Cool colors are typically blues, greens and violets, and tend to recede when we look at them. However, there is such a thing as “cool” warm colors, and “warm” cool colors. It’s important to always work with colors in context. Because, for example, a burgundy red can look warm next to a navy, but cold next to a different shade of red. 

Warm and cool colors matter because we make different psychological associations with different colors. It’s kind of like the weather - warm, sunny days make you feel differently than cool, grey days. 


Paint colors in our homes can have the same effect. As humans, we are naturally drawn toward the sun, and colors that create that same warmth are just as enticing. When creating a color palette for the home, keep in mind that colors that have an overall warm feeling are going to, in general*, make us most cozy and comfortable. However, you don’t want the palette to be too warm, because too much warmth can be overstimulating. So don’t go crazy with tangerine orange ceilings and fire-engine red walls, or you’ll be running for the door. And that's not to say cooler wall colors won't work - I spec them all the time! It just means if you do opt for cooler paint hues, you're best introducing some warmth through other design elements to keep the space from getting too dreary.

And if you think sticking with “neutrals” or “white” is the safe way to go, and you’ll be able to avoid this whole warm and cool issue, think again. Every color, even beiges and whites, have undertones. Some are pink-y, some are green, some are yellow. So-called “neutrals” are anything but neutral. 

*Yes, yes, I know. There are also personal associations and preferences that can throw a kink into this whole thing. But, for the purposes of this post let's keep this in general terms, ok?